MUSER NEW BOSS OF PARKS

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- When Dan Muser earned his master's degree in terrestrial ecology, he didn't plan a career in parks and recreation.

But on Saturday, City Manager J. Ronald Fischer named Muser the new Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Director.

Muser, whose educational background is in agriculture and horticulture, was hired as Cape Girardeau's parks superintendent in 1985, shortly after his interests started to lean toward parks and recreation work.

"Really, prior to coming here, I had been looking at that field as something that I thought would be interesting to get into," he said Sunday. "So I started looking at a career in parks and recreation. I'm happy it's worked out the way it has."

Muser's varied background was one of the reasons he was appointed over nearly 40 applicants for the position vacated when past-director Steve Bone resigned in December.

"My particular background is probably different than a lot of people in parks and recreation, but I think I probably have an advantage," Muser said. "Most people don't have the technical background in parks and groundskeeping, and, a lot of times, the city has to rely heavily on other outside people for that."

Fischer said Muser's training and experience in horticulture and groundskeeping, combined with his recreation work as parks superintendent, weighed heavily in his favor in the city's search for a new director.

Muser also has served as the interim director since Bone's resignation.

"We went through (the applicants) and had about a half-dozen who were real strong in recreation only, and a few more with strength in the area of parks," Fischer said. "But there was not really anyone, other than Dan, that has a good cross-section of both."

Fischer said his choice for the appointment was narrowed to Muser and one other applicant who now is a parks superintendent in a city much larger than Cape Girardeau.

"Prior to that, he was a parks and recreation director in a town of about 10,000," he said. "He had strengths like Dan's, but he still didn't have too much of the recreation background."

Fischer said the fact that he has worked with Muser during the past few years also was an asset.

"I didn't really know that fellow, and I do know Dan," he said. "I think Dan's real strength was that I had worked with him for three years and for the last three months, he has had the director's responsibilities.

"I feel has proven he'll be a very good director of parks and recreation."

Fischer said Muser officially will begin work as the Parks and Recreation Department director today. His first-year salary is $30,000 with a 10-percent raise after a year if "everything works out," he added.

Muser said he's pleased to receive the appointment.

"I think it will be good, really, for the whole department because, having been there for five years, it's a little easier for the other staff to adjust to a new director," he said. "There will be very little adjustment as compared to if it was someone brand new."

Muser said there's "a lot of potential" for growth and improvements in the city's Parks and Recreation Department. He said that as the city grows, parks and recreation opportunities also will expand.

"Down the road, probably the biggest challenge is basically coming up with resources to make some of the improvements that we want," Muser said. "We rely heavily on general revenue funds, but those funds are something that will vary from year to year depending on the city's sales tax receipts."

Muser said he will work with the city administrative staff to try to secure new funding sources, including private donations.

"We'll also try to make some of the programs we have as efficient as possible," he added. "I think that's the same challenge all governmental entities have, and I think they all have the same difficulties."

Muser said he doesn't anticipate an overhaul of parks and recreation policies or programs. He said the department likely will focus on improving existing facilities before tackling too many new ventures.

"I think some of the facilities are in a deteriorated state, so I think the idea right now is to take care of what we have and bring those facilities back up to par," Muser said. "I think that what the citizens as a whole want is to take care of those things."